Improvement in can-opener



CHAR'LES'F. RITCHEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

, Letters Patent lVo. 77,916, dated May 12, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPENER.

i, alge Stimuli mme tu in that ibitza ntmt mit making mit nf tige sans.

TO ALLWHOM 'IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. RITGHEL, of the city`of Chicago, iu the cou Illinois, have invented a new and useful Can-Opener," and I do hereby declare that the followin and exact description thereof, reference being had t'o the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Y Figure l-represents the top view of the'openor, and

Figure 2 the side elevation of it. v

The object of my invention -is to provide a cheap and substantial can-opener, not'liable to get outof order, and accessible in price to everybodys means; and its nature consists in a tool made of one piece, cut by'a die nty of Cook, and State of g is a full ont of sheet metal, and provided with a point to drive it into the can for obtaining a point of rest or fulcium,

and a knife or blade to outa round opening.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its consti-u and operation'. Y

A is the opener proper, and B the handle, both cut out of one piece of sheet metala nd united by aslight curve, Cfor a more convenient handling of the device, the edges of the handle beingbcnt downward, for the purpose of giving an easier hold to the hand, and for oiering a stronger resistance to the lateral force applied to it. D is a sharp point, bent downward, or slightly curved to .the front, and E is the knife or blade, of trianction `,gulanshape, the whole thing, point and blade, being struck out of sheet metalat once by a properly-arranged die, and the point D and the blade E turned off,.an d trimmed by hand or machinery afterwards, and steelhardened, if desirable. The manufacturing process, being 'thus rendered very cheap and rapid, the priceof the tool itself becomes very low. l l

The operation of the opener consists in this, that the tool, being held in a vertical position, theV point D is forced into the can, and the handle Ais brought down, and the fulcrum for the opera-tion of the handle being thus obtained, the blade E is forced into the can also,` and the handle B is turned around with one hand, while the can is firmly held with the other hand, the blade E thus cutting round opening in the can. Y

What I' claim as new, and my invention, and desire to secure `by Letters Patent, is-. i

The can-opener, made of one piece of sheet metal, as described, provided with point D and blade E, both arranged and operating slibstantially as herein shown and specified.

` i CHARLES F. RITCHEL., Witnesses:

J. B. TURCHIN, 4 h

R. R. FoorE. 

